Prime Minister Kostas Simitis will meet with the Secretary of PASOK's Central Committee, Kostas Laliotis, in preparation to the EO's meeting.

Since mid-October last year, an important increase in the frequency and number of Turkish formation of fighter aircraft entering Athens FIR. In total, compared to 2000, the violations of air traffic rules by Turkish fighter aircraft have doubled.

According to the scientists, the epicenter of the quake that cost dozens of people their lives, is ver far from the Anatolia fault.

Vasilisis Papazahos, Seismology Professor at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, supported that "this earthquake is relatively small, and small earthquakes affect neighboring earthquakes. We are very far from the epicenter of that quake, and thus there

is no evidence to suggest that it might affect Greece".

Also, seismologist at the Athens Geodynamic Institute Gerasimos Papadopoulos, pointed out that the possibility of this earthquake affecting Greece, is very small.

The Prime Minister will have talks with President Ion Ilescu, Prime Minister Adrian Anastase and other Romanian officials on the developments in the Balkans and the wider region.

Also, they will discuss the EU-Romanian relations and the prospects for Romania's accession into the Euro-Atlantic institutions. Mr. Simitis will convey Greece's political will toward this direction. The Prime Minister will be accompanied by deputy Forei gn Minister Tasos Yiannitsis and Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Andreas Loverdos, who will have consultations with their counterparts.

Both Papandreou and Cem agreed in New York that the political directors of the two Foreign Ministries will meet to open the contacts on the Greek-Turkish dialogue convergence points. Also, the two Foreign Ministers agreed to hold a Greek, Turkish, Bulgar ian and Romanian meeting on the sidelines of the Islamic Conference to discuss the prospects for the accession of Bulgaria and Romania into the Euro-Atlantic institutions.

The exploratory contacts will be held at Foreign Ministry political directors level, while the next Papandreou-Cem meeting will take place on February 12 and 13.

The two ministers also discussed the Cyprus issue and the effort of the two countries to jointly organize the 2008 European Football Cup. Mr. Papandreou and Mr. Cem also referred to the joint initiative undertaken by Greece and Turkey to back Bulgaria an d Romania in their effort to become NATO members.

Parliament deputies and government officials will convey the messages of President Kostis Stephanopoulos and Foreign Minister Giorgos Papandreou to their counterparts for the promotion of the specific idea.

Ambassador Zeppos will visit India and Pakistan, while within the week relevant letters will be brought to Israel and Palestine by Euro-deputy Anna Karamanou and general secretary for the Greeks Living Abroad Dimitris Dolis. Right-wing main opposition pa rty of New Democracy parliament deputy Sofia Kalantzakou will visit Armenia and Azerbajdjan.

The goal is to brief authorities in those countries on Greece's initiative and to agree that the Olympic Truce idea will be respected during the Olympic Games.

Of the stocks trading today, 71 recorded gains and 128 had losses.

Mr. Stephanopoulos visited Palmyra today and toured the archaeological sites in the region. The Greek President also visited the Palmyra Museum and stated that he was impressed with the tour.

Yesterday, Mr. Stephanopoulos visited the Greek community in Damascus and he was warmly received by its members. In his address, he pointed out that the Greeks living outside Greece many times are much warmer Greeks than those living in Greece.

Mr. Protopapas stressed that the government is ready to offer humanitarian aid for the earthquake victims in Turkey.

Mr. Stefanopoulos met with members of the Greek Community in Damascus, who held a warm reception for him. He also met with the first Vice-President of Syria, Mr. Hadam, and the President of the Parliament and Prime Minister Mr. Miro, with whom he had a d iscussion on bilateral issues and on the situation in the Middle East.

The meeting's topic were the research meetings that will start taking place between high level diplomats, in order to determine whether continental shelf issue and other issues, irrelevant to territorial differences, can be resolved.

Greek participation in these discussions will include the political director of the Ministry of the Interior, Mr. Skopelitis, who, along with his Turkish counterpart, will examine whether or not it is possible to draft of an agreement to refer the disput e to the Hague.

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